Lock for retaining braces on the scaffolding stud



y 5, 1962 G. w. CAUSEY 3,034,812

LOCK FOR RETAINING BRACES ON THE SCAFFOLDING STUD 'Filed May 21, 1959 INVENTOR. 6502 5 N CA usav 1%: A rroeusy 3,034,812 LOCK FOR RETAINING BRACES ON THE SCAFFOLDING STUD George W. Causey, Wilkinsburg Borough, Allegheny County, Pa. (201 Rebecca Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa.) Filed May 21, 1959, Ser. No. 814,713 8 Claims. (Cl. 287-535) This invention relates generally to scaffolding structural units and more particularly to locking means for retaining brace members on pins secured to scaffolding units.

The simplest and most prominent way of securing the ends of removable brace members to scaffolding units is by means of a thread pin secured relative to the scaffolding unit and provided with a nut usually in the form of a Wing nut that secures the brace members on the pin. The brace members are usually made of tubing having their ends flattened and a hole drilled through the flattened end portion for receiving the pins. Threaded pins of this character become damaged and it is diflicult to retain them in place owing to the fact that it is impossible to screw the nut onto the threaded pin. Again the nuts become lost because they are separable from the pins and it is frequently difiicult to hold the scaffolding unit with a brace member in place while attempting to secure a nut thereto. c

Other forms of attaching means have been employed, however, they usually present difficulties owing to the fact that they provide relatively thin structural pieces that become bent and otherwise damaged and fail to function as a good locking means. Such a type too is readily bumped and creates a hazard as the locking device may be readily bumped out of locking position thereby permitting the braces to fall or slide off the pins.

The principal object of this invention is the provision of a locking device in the form of a link that when raised will leave the pin free for the insertion of the brace members, however, when released it will drop into place and lock the brace members on the pin.

Another object is the provision of a lock that may be provided on a scaffolding unit regardless of which position the scaffolding unit is oriented.

Other objects and advantages appear hereinafter in the following description and claims.

The accompanying drawings show for the purpose of exemplification without limiting this invention or the claims thereto certain practical embodiments illustrating the principles of this invention wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view showing a lock to retain the brace members on the scaffolding stud with parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the bracket member.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the stud support and bracket keeper.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of a brace locking device.

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a small perspective view of two scaffolding units tied together.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 the tubular members 1 and 2 represent longitudinal and transverse rail members which when assembled provide a scaffolding unit. The stud member 3 is a thread member welded as indicated at 4 to the base 5 which is a channel member having a web 6, the retaining surface of which faces the rail 1 when the flanges 7 are welded longitudinally of their edges to the pipe member 1 as indicated at 8 to hold the base member 5 and the stud 3 in proper position on ited rates atent the scaffolding unit made up of the pipe members 1 and 2. I

As shown in FIG. 3 the bracket member 10 has a long leg section 11 ending with the upturned foot 12 at one end and the arm 13 at its opposite end. The foot 12 and the arm 13 extend outwardly from the leg 11 in the same direction and are substantially parallel with each other. The other end of the arm 13 is provided with a downwardly extending arm section 14 bifurcated at its lower end as indicated at 15 to form the U-shaped slot 16.

When the base 5 is secured to the pipe 1 the long leg 11 is inserted between the inturned flanges 7 and when these flanges are welded to the surface of the pipe 1 the bracket 10 is held in place by the retaining surface of the base 5 that faces the rail 1 and the foot member is too large to permit it to slide out from under the channel base 5. Owing to the fact that the leg 11 is loosely retained under the channel member 5 it will fall by its own weight to the position shown in FIG. 1 where the stud 3 is received in the opening 16 formed by the bifurcated end 15 of the arm 14. Thus by engaging the underside of the foot 12 and raising the bracket 10,.the brace members 17 and 18 may he slid over the end of the stud 3 and between the base 5 and the arm 14 after which time the bracket 10 is released and it drops down into position as shown in FIG. 1 to retain the brace members in position on the stud 3. If desired a wing nut 20 may be threadably engaged on the stud 3 and if sufiiciently tightened it may flex the long arm 14 so as to tightly clamp the braces 17 and 18 against the outer face of the web 6 of the base member 5.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 the rail member 1 of the scaffolding unit has the keeper in the form of the post 21 provided with a shoulder 22 which is the retaining surface facing the rail 1. This keeper functions in a manner similar to that of the channel member 5 in FIGS. 1 to 4 which is the keeper of the bracket 11 that slides therein. The bracket 23 has the leg portion 24 with the longitudinal slot 25 that slides over the post 21 and is retained in place by the shoulder 22. The end of the leg 24 is rounded as indicated at 26 to permit the bracket 23 to be raised to its highest position and then rotated through so as to enable the bracket 23 to operate longitudinally of the rail 1 regardless of the direction of the scaffolding. To guide the bracket in its sliding action a fence such as indicated at 27 is Welded to the rail 1 with its longitudinal axis parallel with that of the axis of the rail and spaced from the post 21 sufficiently to permit one side of the leg 24 to freely slide along the inner face of the fence 27. Thus by raising the bracket 23 until the post 21 engages the bottom of the slot, the rounded portion 26 of the leg permits one to turn the bracket so that it may operate in the opposite direction.

The bracket 23 is similar to the bracket 10 in that it is provided with an outer arm 13 and a downwardly sectioned arm portion 14, the lower end of which is provided with a U-shaped socket 16 in the same manner as the structure shown in FIG. 3.

The post 21 outwardly of the shoulder or retaining surface 22 becomes the stud 28 which is the same as that of the stud 3. However, the stud 28 is not threaded as indicated at 3 but could be so threaded to receive a wing nut. In place of the wing nut the stud 28 is pro vided with a head 30 that has a shoulder 31 that engages the outer face of the downwardly extending arm 14 of the bracket so as to lock the brace members 17 and 18 in place. Braces 17 and 18 of course must have a hole large enough to pass the head 30 of the stud 28. Thus by merely raising the bracket 23 one may slide the brace members on or off the stud and by merely releasing the same will retain the brace members locked in position on the stud, gravity forcing the bracket downwardly in its locking position.

As shown in FIG. 7, two scafiolding units 32 and 33 are shown with their long rails 1 connected by their upper and lower transverse rails 34 and 35 and the two frame units 32 and 33 are shown interconnected by the brace members 17 and 18 which are attached by means of the brace locking means indicated at 36 which of course could be either of the structures shown in FIGS. 1 or 5.

Iclaim:

1. A brace lock for scaffolding units consisting of a rail, a unit in the form of a keeper fixed to said rail, said keeper having a retaining surface facing said rail, an outwardly extending section on said keeper to receive brace members, a bracket slidably retained for relative vertical movement by said retaining surface of said keeper, said bracket having a U-shaped cutout to engage said outwardly extending section beyond the brace members, and a lock means on said outwardly extending section to hold said U-shaped cutout of said bracket and retain the brace members in position.

2. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said keeper is a channel member with its under web surface forming said retaining surface and the edges of said keeper are secured to the rail of the scaffolding unit, and said bracket is slidable under said channel and has a foot at one end and an arm at the other end to limit its sliding movement.

3. The structure of claim 2 characterized in that said 4 extending section is a stud and said lock means is a wing nut.

4. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said U-shaped cutout on the end of said bracket embraces said outwardly extending section and said lock means is in the form of an abutment on said outwardly extending section to hold said bracket from spreading outwardly thus locking the braces.

5. The structure of claim 4 characterized in that said lock means abutment is a wing nut.

6. The structure of claim 4 characterized in that said lock means abutment is a fixed shoulder.

7. The structure of claim 1 characterized in that said keeper is a post having an inwardly facing shoulder that forms said retaining surface, and said lock means on said outwardly extending section being a second shoulder, and said bracket is slotted to ride under said second shoulder.

8. The structure of claim 7 characterized in that one end of said slotted portion of said bracket is rounded on its outer edge, and a fence secured to said rail beside said keeper to maintain said bracket parallel with the axis of said rail regardless of which direction it is set to lock.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,686,086 French Aug. 10, 1954 2,716,576 Nordone Aug. 30, 1955 2,726,902 Borgman et a1 Dec. 13, 1955 2,849,258 Crook Aug. 26, 1958 

